Anyone who has seen me wandering around the grid, either hanging out or searching for my next story, will know that if there is one thing I don't really try to achieve with my "look", it's cuteness. However, with the current love affair that SL is having with the Tiny avatar, I, like everyone else, want to get involved, especially with all the great things and adventures that are available within the tiny community (much like the Loco Poco's treasure hunt that we explored recently). So I decided I would go on a bit of a shopping spree, to see if I could find myself a tiny avatar that was not quite so, well, cute. A badass Tiny, if you will.


The first thing that caught my eye was Tedwood Portsmouth's "Death of Tinies costume" (200$L). However, while this neat little outfit, with it's Terry Pratchet inspired name, has a superb gothic charm, and would make the perfect Halloween costume for any Tiny, it still requires wearing a frankly adorable animal avatar underneath, thus making it not exactly what I'm looking for.


I decided to move away from the gothic, and try out something a little more funky and futuristic. After much searching, I found the "Tiny Kabuki Robot" by AKIBE Sixgallery(300$L). This highly detailed avatar combines intricate traditional Japanese patterns and costume, with funky neon robotic styling. However, maybe it's the fact that it's samurai blade is purely decorative, or perhaps it was the quirky cartoon blinking eyes, but when I took the avatar down to the neon city of Insilico, I felt that, although it looked fantastic, it was hardly intimidating and wasn't really making anyone take me very seriously.


Maybe what I needed was something with more muscle. More macho. So what could be better than a tiny wrestler! "Mary's Tiny ;; Fukumen" by makitan Kidd(110$L) matched the bill superbly, turning me into a mini-luchador totally ready to mix it up with any other Lycra clad warriors. I felt the need to try this out, so I headed down to Second Life Championship Wrestling's Ambrodome Arena, where there happened to be a match on. I hung out amongst the audience and the other wrestlers, thinking, "Well, Rey Mysterio can be short and a champion?". But the nail was hammered into my badass wrassler image when Katheryn Blackadder, winner of the match that night, spotted me, and said "Check out the lil luchador! How Cute!". Failed again, I guess.


Back searching again, I decided that if anyone could make a tiny avatar with attitude, it would be a brand called "Fucker Family". "Skeleton Boy" by Karshr Demonia(150$L) mixes urban street style along with a dark supernatural monster charm. An undead dude with punk sensibilities. You can even buy a rock and roll guitar or bass, that plays a kickass riff when you type. What could be more badass than that! I was all happy to call it a day there, and say that I had found the avatar I'd been looking for, but it just so happened that I had bought a gift for someone that I couldn't transfer. I called the creator over to my land, and was discussing the problem, and once I'd finally come to an agreement with her, as a parting comment, she turned to me, and said "btw, your avatar is very cute". ARGH!

So, I decided, I needed something that could never be called cute. Something that, regardless of size, would strike fear into the heart of any avatar. I needed to get properly scary. And then I found it:


"Evil Clown Tiny Avatar" by Jenne Dibou's Mechanical Toy Factory(490$L) is NOT cute. From it's automaton metal skin, to the burning red eyes and little razor sharp teeth, and the fact that it is an evil clown, it has everything you need to intimidate any avatar you bump into. Pleased that I had finally found something that no-one could call cute, I started showing off my find to my friends. And they all agreed that it was indeed a completely uncute tiny. They also agreed that unless I changed out of the avatar, they might feel the need to run away screaming.

So, in conclusion, it is possible to find a tiny avatar that is not cute. However, whether it is possible to find such an avatar, without your friends hiding behind sofas and pretending not to be around when you call, is quite another matter. I guess there are worse things than being cute.

Tomorrow, November 24th 2008, marks the beginning of the week long film festival, Admit One, which brings together audiences in Second Life and Real Life, to experience some promising short films by up and coming film-makers, hungry for their big break. What make this even more interesting is that this is a project of the Mexican university, Universidad Anahuac Cancun (http://www.anahuaccancun.edu.mx), with the films provided by students, and the event itself completely organised by pupils on the Mass Media course there, all under the watchful eye of Mildred Milev, teacher at the university, educating students in uses of technology, and in this case, Secondlife. I managed to get some time with Mildred, not only to talk about the festival, but also to putting SL on the curriculum:

Voodoo Buwan: So, How did the Admit One festival come about?

Mildred Milev: Well, it's the final project of the class I give at the university. The class is about subjects related with Information Era and new technologies so students learn what's new and how to use the new tools online. It's not only about tools, we also bring theories and based on them we develop online strategies. So, this festival is the final test

Voodoo Buwan: Are the films made by the students too?

Mildred Milev: Yes. All the short films are made by students of Mass Media career, obviously developed in other classes.

Voodoo Buwan: And the festival occurs in RL as well as SL?

Mildred Milev: Yes, the whole festival embraces a lot of different skills and knowledge the students have got through this years at the university. It involves 3d building, marketing, publicity, new technologies, movie making theory and making events (public relations). The event then has to be made simultaneously RL and SL to show their skills to manage all that

Voodoo Buwan: So, will the film-makers be coming inworld as well as their work?

Mildred Milev: Well not all are in this class, at least not this semester, so I'm trying to, yes. At the RL event we will have computers projecting inworld event, so, if some of the film-makers don't manage to make their avie, we will give them support in RL to be around in SL.

Voodoo Buwan: So, as well as organising events like this, you generally use SL as a teaching tool on your course?

Mildred Milev: every semester that i give this class, we use SL as a tool.

Voodoo Buwan: And how do the students react to SL when they first experience it?

Mildred Milev: They get excited about it, because its a fun way to get along with all theory stuff.
I believe that if you only learn theories but you never get them into practice, that knowledge is meant to be forgotten and not useful. Some of them also, had never heard about virtual worlds and they are all OMG! Is that possible? Is that real?

Voodoo Buwan: So, as a teacher in new technologies, and someone who studies the cutting edge of media and communication technology, do you feel that SL is being everything it could be, or do you foresee more applications for virtual worlds as we go forward?

Mildred Milev: The wonderful thing about SL is the amount of possibilities you have as a user. It's curious u say that because, most of the new technologies have lots of uses. The gadgets, they are new and get updates all the time, but the thing is that the user is always behind technology. They dont really know its potential and usually, users are buying stuff just because its glam or cool or nice. Technology gives status. So, my point here is that SL is a tool, an amazing one, that also allows the user to do whatever. If SL keeps living or dies depends of the users themselves. If SL goes up or down, its also users. As a new tech tool, virtual worlds must change, quick, every second, but it's on the mix the users give to the tools provided and how much users involves with the technology that will make it grow

Voodoo Buwan: Unless it's Linden Labs? A lot of people keep complaining that their administration curbs inworld freedoms more and more. Do you feel the freedoms given still outweigh the rules in place inworld?

Mildred Milev: Yes, as long as they still let us do our own creations, but is obvious to have limits somewhere. Even here, we are a mirror of RL, and people need rules, its a common cultural thing, human nature

Voodoo Buwan: So, you can see SL being something that is taught, and in fact used to teach, well into the future?

Mildred Milev: Totally, for many disciplines and areas. Last year, there was an event at Trent University (UK) sim and they had a nutrition center, DJ center, etc. Lots of law trials are practiced here inworld. SL gives us, teachers, an alternative, kind of a real laboratory. For example, with this event, students know the local market and know how to do a good job there, but inworld, I, as a teacher, and them, as students, have the opportunity to work on new markets., from UK-Europe and USA-Latin American. International markets are not always handy for university students projects, and also for the film-makers it's nice that not only their family and friends look at their work.

Voodoo Buwan: So, Do you think that in the future there could even be completely inworld universities?

Mildred Milev: Well there are online universities already, and the big difference from a real one is the interaction, which is provided on virtual worlds. The thing here is that the world recognizes and give the credibility for someone that studies inworld. Somehow, real life on those kind of subjects has a lot more weight. So maybe, that will be possible, but I guess if more RL universities dare to have an inworld department that it would be more possible.

Voodoo Buwan: Well, I'd like to wish you all the best with the festival, and your future classes.

Mildred Milev: Thanks a lot, Voodoo, well we will be waiting for you on Monday :)

By Allanah Tomsen

We all need to have a few Linden dollars in our SL life. Without them, the creative residents of this artistic haven, would be unable to or possibly less inspired to design and produce the incredible array of fashion, furniture, vehicles, games, entire sims, that make the majority of residents, keep entering that log in password. If your new to this strange and alluring world, looking to progress your avatar and lose that freebie fashion attire (although there are many wonderful freebies out there), or whatever it is you want to buy on SL, there are loads of different money making activities to be had. Of course I would say that probably buying your lindens is the easiest option and to be fair they are very cheap, 1000 lindens costing around £2.40 ($4), but I was a newbie once and was wary of putting my card details online, or sharing my information with someone calling themselves a Linden, and was in fact a cheap skate to start with, although I blame my Scottish heritage for that:D

Camping…..ah the sweet memories. Probably the most boring and mind numbing experience I have ever had the misfortune to try. You can plonk your avatar on a bench and basically sit there…….and sit there…….and Aaaaarrrrgh!, sit there, and after an hour you may just have the enthusiasm to take your 8 lindens (earning 2 lindens for every 15 mins) and head over to the Yard Sale to grab that bargain! If having your av sitting all day bores you, then there are dance pads, although there’s something very wrong and embarrassing about being chatted up while your both doing the Chicken dance. I should really include Zyngo in this list since I am myself an addict of this “while away the time” game and have won many a linden on it. Of course you could “Just get a job” or get creative and build and sell your fine artistic ideas. There are many many ways to earn your living in SL.


Now I am a music lover and it wasn’t long before I had my first taste of what SL had to offer and attended my first live music event. I stood mesmerised by the very talented and amazing Djai Skjellerup singing songs he had himself written, he sang from his soul with a passion that touched my heart and I have somewhat become enthralled by the endless musical talent accessible in SL.

It occurred to me recently that I’ve never actually come across a busker on Second Life. I’m sure there are some, but they are obviously few and far between and this got me wondering how much a busker could actually make using their singing and musical talents, turning up here and there, putting down their tip jar if the sim allows and just singing and playing his/her heart out? Now I have a love/hate relationship with my RL guitar, I love it and it hates me, but I know enough chords to strum a tune together so decided to give it a wee shot. Firstly I needed a guitar and managed to pick up a lovely Martin D35 acoustic guitar from Nortique Musical Instruments, found a cool guitar case tip jar and was set for the life of an SL Busker. Where to busk was my next dilemma and decided that if anyone would accept me it would be the Hobos and off I teleported to The Hobo Island Sandbox. There were about three avatars in all, standing around building and creating.

I was actually petrified since I am very mediocre on guitar and my voice is less than mediocre, but I decided if I was going to write this article I should at least have the guts to be a part of it. So guitar in hand, strumming animation on, tip jar rezzed, I clicked voice and started singing and playing the Streets of London, which I thought was quite apt for the place I was currently at. Within about 3 seconds a very scary gesture of “I will KILL you” could be heard echoing around me, geez knew I was bad, but give a gal a break. I carried on regardless, sang a few other little ditties and could not believe, when the same person who I thought was out to get me actually turned out to be a lovely guy and tipped me 20 lindens (still trying to convince myself he actually liked my songs and didn’t tip just to get rid of me).


I thanked him rather enthusiastically and with a new found confidence headed off to my next pitch in Central Park. I was a little disappointed to find out that it wasn’t actually based on the real Central Park as I had been planning to do a whole repertoire of songs by Phoebe Buffay from Friends, which both suit my guitar playing and my voice. Sadly there was no-one about and was just about to take back my tip case, when I noticed someone lurking about, obviously intrigued at what I was up to. Soon found out it was the owner of the Sim, JadzOr Conover. Got ready to be sent straight home and banned with no chance of showing off my Pheobe skills, but to my delight he seemed quite keen to have a wee listen. My Smelly Cat tune went down pretty well I thought and he had invited a friend of his to eavesdrop by phone to my obviously delightful, enchanting tones. Did the Grandma song, Cow in the Meadow (my personal favourite) and the Shower Song. It wasn’t long before another of his friend’s teleported in, which hilariously was a cat avatar named Ed Bumstead. I of course did an encore and readily dedicated my Smelly Cat song to him and between them they tipped a nice 300 lindens.


So all in all, I earned an impressive 320 lindens within approximately 50 minutes of busking. Not bad me thinks considering the quality of play on offer. So, from this I have proved that it could very well be an SL Busker’s life.

So if you feel that you may have what it takes to whip out your instrument and give it some and I’m speaking about artistic talent here, give it a try, who knows, you may even get some recognition and move on to the big time and I will be standing at your gig, secretly wishing it was me. If you already feel that you are ready for the stages of SL, then check out this link http://slmc.myfastforum.org/about2137.html where Djai is eagerly awaiting to hear from you to take part in a very special Christmas event, which is a collaborative recording project, although he does stress “no comb and papers please”, so sadly that leaves me out.